Signal for automobiles



PETERF. VAN HALDER, or GREENBAY, wrsooNsINj rSIGNAL FOR AuToMoBILEsQV' Application filed September 24, 1924. Serial No. 739,576.'V y

My invention relates to signalsrfor automobiles andthe object` of the invention is to y provide a simple device which will be nor- -mally inoperative and may be easily brought into operative position without requiring the occupant ofthe car to leave the samel or protrude any portion of his body from the car. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple device whereby the occupant ofthe car may readily signal' other motorists ofk his intentionfto stop or to change the direction of his tra-vehand, more specifically, 'an object of the invention is to `provide a device which may be mounted upon the body of Athevehicle and manipulated from inside the vehicle so as to be brought into an operative position and automatically set so as `to attract Vthe attention of either approaching or following motorists. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth. f In the drawing Y Figure l is'a perspective view of a motor vehicle having my signal mounted thereon, the signal being shown in inoperativeposition;

Fig.2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the signal in operative position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the inside of the door of the vehicle showing parte of the signal mechanism. y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 with the handle of thev operating lever engaged with the latch.

The signal is Villustrated as applied to a closed car 1 but it will` beunderstood, of course, that'it may be applied to an open car. In carrying out the invention, I secure a bracket 2 upon the outer'side of the door 3 of the vehicle, and to this' bracket I pivot4k ally attach one end of a stem or arm 4 which is preferably hollow Vand carries at Vits outer end artubular casing 5 extending at a right angle to the stem orarm. Normally the arm or stem 4 is carried in the pendent position illustrated in Fig. 1 with the tubular casing 5 resting against the side of the door but when the signal is to be dis` played the arm is swung upwardly to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2, extending laterally from the door and having the housing or casing 5 disposed in a horizontal position parallel with the side of the door. A lens 6 is fitted in each end of the casing mounted within the switch casing and '5, andthese lenses .are preferably'colored` red so that they will be easily seen and will l readily attract attention when the signal.

is .inY the operative display position. A small electric lamp7 indicated by dotted lines at 7 in' Fig. 2, vis fitted vin the end of the tubular arm 4 so that thelight rays projected from the lamp ,will be alin'ed with the'rv centersy of the lenses 6. conveying electricity to the lamp are housed The conductors 8 for` within the` hollow arm or stein 4fand 'pass through an opening 9 provided therefor yadl jacent the inner end of the arm, passing thence through an opening Vl0 in the door andy being secured to vbinding screws or posts 1l at the lower end of a switch housnig i which is secured uponvthe innerside of theV door. One ofthe' wires 8 is; grounded through the switch housingl2, while the other wire isyconnected with a contact member. 13of any preferred form secured within the housing 12 and adapted to be engaged by a switch arm or lever, 14 pivotally jecting forwardly throughkvthe side of they same, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 3.

' The arm onstem 4 is provided between its ends with a lug 15 to which one endof a cable or other flexible connection 16 is attached. Thisy cable'lb is Acarried upkwardly to a'point above the bracket 2 and then passed through an yopening provided therefor in the door'frame, after which it is carrieddownwardly within the carl ad- `jacent the inner side of the door vand is attached to the *lo-wer forwardly projecting arm 17 of an angle lever which isfulcrumed upon the door, as at 18, and has its operat- -ing arm 19 extending upwardly, a knob 20 kor other convenient form of handle being provided at ,the 4upper end of the said arm i 19 of the angle lever. A cable or link 21 connects the outer end of the switch arm 14 with the forward extremity of the angle cured upon the inner side of the door 3 so as to provide a firm support for the parts and also to avoid excessive wear upon the finish ofthe door, a stilfening base plate or lug 23 being provided upon the plate 22 24 is also'secured upon the plate 22 at a point iny advance of the upstanding arm lto carry the'fulcrum of .they lever. A keeper of the angle lever so that, when the lever is pushed forward, it will be engaged by this keeper and prevent it from returning to its initial position unt-il manually released.

It is thought the operation of the device will be readily understood fromv the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. As long as the vehicle is in motion upon a straight ahead path, the signal arm t is permitted to remain in the pendent position illustrated in Fig. l, the operating lever 4and the switch lever being then in the positions shown' in full lines in Fig. 3. If the operator intends to changeV his direction of travel or to stop, he will push forwardly upon the `angle lever swinging it to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby exerting a pull through the link 21 and the cablel 16 upon the switch arm lll and the signal arm Al, respectively. The signal will thus be raised to the position shown in Fig.

. 2 and, simultaneously, the switch arm llt will be moved downwardly to the position sli-own by dotted lines in Fig. 3, electrically engaging the contact member 13 and conn pleting the circuit through the battery and the lamp 7. The lamp will then, of course, become illuminated and will serve to attract the attention of motorists coming in either direction. r[he device may be operated during either the day or night, and

at night may be left in its raised position so as to serve as a parking lamp. The device is exceedingly simple in the construction, arrangement and operation of its parts, may be applied readily to any vehicle and, when applied, may be easily manipulated. The parts inside the car are of such form that they will all lie close to the door and will not offer any obstruction to ingress or egress nor will they interfere in any degree with the movements of the operator in controlling and steering the vehicle.

Having thus described the invention, I claim An actuating means for a signal comyprising a mounting plate adapted to be sey cured against the inner face of a. support, a bell-crank lever pivoted to said plate and having a horizontally extending arm and vertically extending arm, a flexible connecting member adapted to be passed through an opening in said support with its inner end secured to 4the horizontal arm of'said lever and its outer end connected with the signal and a latch carried by said plate for' PETER r. VAN HALDER. [Le] my signa- 

